ABSTRACT: 2014 ELATE Institutional Action Project Poster Symposium
Project Title: Collaborative Strategic Planning at the Department Level
Name and Institution: Molly M. Gribb, Head, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, South
Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Collaborators: Ellen I. Haffner, CEE Program Assistant; CEE faculty members
Background, Challenge or Opportunity: Departments at the South Dakota School of Mines are
responsible for developing and executing strategic plans that are in alignment with the university’s five
strategic priorities. Department heads are challenged to actively engage faculty and other stakeholders
in the development of these plans such that participants experience a sense of ownership and are
motivated to expend time and energy toward achieving plan outcomes.
Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this project is to engage faculty and other stakeholders in the CEE
Department in a collaborative strategic planning process. There are two key objectives: 1) develop an
executable strategic plan, and 2) stimulate greater faculty engagement.
Methods/Approach: We will use a highly collaborative approach in which faculty and other stakeholders
are meaningfully engaged in the planning process from the beginning. This year-long process has been
successfully implemented at over 60 campuses, including Cornell University, DePaul University and UCSanta Cruz, among others. The five phases of collaborative strategic planning (Sanaghan, 2009) are:
 Laying the groundwork: Engage co-chairs, communicate the importance of the effort to
stakeholders. Completed
 Data gathering and engagement: Discussion, dialogue with stakeholders. Ongoing
 Identification of strategic themes: Develop concept papers. May, 2014
 Vision conference: Discuss themes and create a shared vision for the department with
stakeholder input. September, 2014
 Goals conference: Set goals and action plans for each strategic theme identified during the
vision conference. January, 2015
Faculty and stakeholders have been invited, but are not required, to participate in the process. During
our first meeting, attendees worked in teams of two to answer the question, “What are your hopes and
aspirations for the department?” In a second exercise, teams identified past departmental or university
accomplishments and reported back to the group on 1) “What made the accomplishment possible?” and
2) “What lessons should be brought forward as we develop our departmental plans for the future?” Half
of the 10 participants cited “Networking across the university” as essential to success; four cited
“Faculty working as a team;” and three cited “Communication.” Meeting participants were energetic
and positive.
Outcomes and Evaluation: In addition to development of the departmental strategic plan itself, project
outcomes include increased faculty and stakeholder engagement, and enhanced group decision-making
and problem-solving skills. Engagement during the strategic planning process will be evaluated using the
Situational Intrinsic Motivation Scale (SIMS) (Guay et al., 2000). SIMS is a validated instrument for
measuring the quality of motivation experienced by participants in a particular situation. We expect
participants to report higher levels of intrinsic motivation, leading to a more authentic investment in the
activities of institutional change. All expected outcomes will serve the department by improving our
ability to respond to opportunities as well as future challenges.
Molly
Gribb,
PhD,
PE
Planning Collaborative Strategic
atthe Department Level
The Challenge
Start
Faculty and stakeholders have been invited, but are not required, to participate in the strategic planning process. During
our first meeting, attendees worked in teams of two to answer the question, “What are your hopes and aspirations for the
department?” The question elicited answers that encompassed common themes of increasing research and graduate
education opportunities, and developing a more forward-thinking and integrated undergraduate curriculum (Table 1).
In a second exercise, teams identified past departmental or university accomplishments and reported back to the group
on 1) “What made the accomplishment possible?” and 2) “What key lessons should be brought forward as we develop our
departmental plans for the future?” Six of the ten participants cited “Networking across the university or with other
universities” as essential to success; four cited “Faculty working as a team;” and three cited “Effective communication”
(Table 2).
Objectives
The purpose of this project is to engage faculty and other stakeholders in
the CEE Department in a collaborative strategic planning process. There are
two key objectives: 1) develop an executable strategic plan, and 2) stimulate
greater faculty engagement.
Evaluation
Approach
•
•
•
•
•
Laying the groundwork: Engage co-chairs, communicate the
importance of the effort to stakeholders. Completed
Data gathering and engagement: Small group discussion, dialogue
with stakeholders. Ongoing
Identification of strategic themes: Develop concept papers. May, 2014
Vision conference: Discuss themes and create a shared vision for the
department with stakeholder input. September, 2014
Goals conference: Set goals and action plans for each strategic theme
identified during the vision conference. January, 2015
Presented at the 2014 ELATE® Leaders Forum
Collaborators: Dr. Scott Kenner, Ellen Haffner and CEE faculty members
Mentor: Dr. Duane Hrncir, Provost and VP for Academic Affairs
Progress to Date
Departments at the South Dakota School of Mines are responsible for
developing and executing strategic plans that are in alignment with the
university’s five strategic priorities. Department heads are challenged to
actively engage faculty and other stakeholders in the development of these
plans such that participants experience a sense of ownership and are
motivated to expend time and energy toward achieving plan outcomes.
We will use a highly collaborative approach in which faculty and other
stakeholders are meaningfully engaged in the planning process from the
beginning. This year-long process has been successfully implemented on
over 60 campuses, The five phases of collaborative strategic
planning (Sanaghan, 2009) and our timeline for implementation are:
Professor and Head
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
Finish
Engagement during the strategic planning process will be evaluated using the Situational Intrinsic Motivation Scale (SIMS)
(Guay et al., 2000). SIMS is a validated instrument for measuring the quality of motivation experienced by participants in
a particular situation. We expect participants to report higher levels of intrinsic motivation, leading to a more authentic
investment in the activities of institutional change.
Outcomes
Conclusion
Table 1: Hopes and Aspirations as Reported by Faculty
• Add a PhD program in the
department
• Increase number of online classes
• Develop a departmental research
strategic plan
• Increase research output (funding,
publications, student involvement)
• Implement a successful University
Transportation Center
• Enhance collaboration with other
departments
• Grow international collaborations
• House USGS on campus
• Improve lab facilities
• Implement forward-thinking, integrated curriculum (design core with studio space)
• Achieve 80%+ pass rate on national
Fundamentals of Engineering Exam
•
•
•
•
•
Increase enrollment by recruiting the
best students
Increase scholarships support for
grad/undergrad students
Add three endowed faculty positions and four graduate fellowships
Increase the number of departmental
faculty positions
Offer competitive salaries
Table 2: Top Lessons to Take Forward as Reported by Faculty
•
•
•
•
Network within the university and with other
universities (6 responses)
Work as a team (4 responses)
Communicate effectively
Collaborate outside of our department (2 responses)
•
•
•
•
•
Capitalize on distance education capabilities (2 responses)
Effectively leverage federal funding
Develop and maintain niche research areas (2 responses)
Strengthen communication with Office of Research
Promote accomplishments
Sanaghan, P. (2009). Collaborative Strategic Planning in Higher Education. National Association of College and University Business Officers (1st ed).
Guay, F., Vallerand, R.J., & Blanchard, C (2000). On the Assessment of Situational Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation: The Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS). Motivation and Emotion, 24.3, 175-213.
Whereas strategic planning serves the collective, it
is the actions of individuals that ultimately
determine whether or not goals are embraced and
met. The project we embark on here recognizes the
critical connection between strategic planning and
the individuals who will execute the plan. In
creating our departmental strategic plan, we engage
faculty, students and other stakeholders in all stages
of planning and will incorporate their hopes,
aspirations, and ideas to develop departmental
goals and action plans.
We intend to demonstrate that this inclusive
process creates a strategic plan that stakeholders
are motivated to support and, therefore, a
plan that will lead our department to contribute in
significant, measurable ways toward
university-wide goals.